Seeking Solace
by Xx.LoveIsABlessing.xX
Summary: #15 in the 100 Themes Writing Challenge.


**#15 : Seeking Solace**

The pounding of horse hooves sounded in his ears as he pushed Red into a canter, riding away from Heartland for an hour or so to try and gather his thoughts.

He'd just gotten into a big fight with Ty; the two of them just kept butting heads over how he trained Red. Ty needed to mind his own business, Red was his horse and he treated him just fine. He spoiled him for crying out loud!

Going over the argument in his head, Ben groaned to himself and shook his head, letting Red go as they reached an open field.

Snorting excitedly, the gelding extended his stride and Ben grinned as they thundered across the field. They were leaving Heartland, Ty included, behind them.

Ben let Red run as he pleased and once he started slowing, he pulled up on the reins and brought Red to a controlled canter, then slowed him to a gradual stop, his horse was no reining horse after all, and he swung out of the saddle, walking around to stand in front of Red.

He took his bridle straps in his hands and looking into the horse's warm brown eyes.

"I treat you right, don't I buddy? You'd stop listening to me if I did you wrong, wouldn't you?" Ben whispered to the horse, what Ty had said catching up to him after their wild run.

He didn't want to mistreat Red, he would never mean to hurt the one friend who had always been there for him and had never once let him down. Out of all the inconsistancies on his life, Red was that one stability that he could always fall back on.

Red didn't answer him of course, just butted him with his head playfully and reached up to lip his hair affectionately.

Ben chuckled. If all he had in the world was this horse, he'd still be just fine.

"From now on, boy, if you think I'm being too rough you let me know. Buck me off or bite me or something." Ben whispered and the horse's ears shot up, making him laugh, "Yes, I just gave you permission to buck me off or bite me."

Red's upper lip pulled back to show his teeth and Ben had to laugh again at the horse's version of a smile.

"I think you're a little too pleased with that prospect." He teased and scratched Red's cheek affectionately.

After that the two just walked around the field, looking around. Ben stayed on the ground and Red followed beside him. As they walked, Ben considered the join-up technique that he'd seen Amy and Ty use with horses. Could he try it with Red?

Biting his lip and mentally calling himself an idiot, Ben slipped the bridle off of Red, then took off the saddle and dropped them both to the ground.

Red watched him curiously, wondering what was going on. What in the world was Ben doing, taking off his tack in the middle of nowhere?

"Feel free to call me an idiot for this but there's something I want us to try." Ben muttered as he reached up to scratch Red's neck. The horse pricked his ears curiously.

Taking a breath and praying that he wasn't making a mistake, Ben took a step back from Red and threw up his arms with a whoop to get the horse running.

Startled, Red went away at a nervous trot, unsure of what was going on. He stopped a few yards away and turned back to Ben. He made a low whicker in his throat and tried to walk back to Ben, snorting in alarm as Ben once again sent him away.

"Come on Red, we can do this." Ben muttered as the horse cantered away and turned back to him again, alarm clear in his big brown eyes.

Snorting again, Red made his way back to Ben again, wheeling away when Ben rejected him again.

Confused and a little hurt, Red went up on his hind legs halfway and came back down, then pawed the ground, tossing his head.

"You know what to do, Red. You can do it, buddy." Ben said to him and the gelding's ears flicked uncertainly.

He shook his head before taking off at a canter again, intending to come up on Ben from behind. He couldn't send him away if he couldn't see him. To his surprise, Ben turned with him as he cantered a circle around him, watching him intently.

Red let out a heart wrenched whicker, _Stop sending me away!_

"Come on, Red!" Ben called out to him and the horse snorted, continuing to circle around Ben.

It took a few laps before an instinct kicked in and Red realized what Ben wanted him to do. Immediately he dropped his head and 'chewed' the air, relieved when Ben stopped moving and turned his shoulder to him.

Red slowed to a trot and made one more loop around Ben before slowing to a walk and coming up behind him, lipping the back of his neck. He was pleased when Ben laughed as he lipped at the hair at the nape of his neck.

Turning slowly, Ben had a big grin on his face when he reached up to rub between Red's eyes.

"I knew we could do it. It isn't that hard at all to join up, is it boy?" He whispered.

Red tossed his head eagerly and butted Ben's chest lovingly. Ben laughed and walked over to the tack he'd discarded on the ground, pleased when Red walked with him. Bending down, Ben picked up the saddle and pad, walking to Red's side and putting them on him, cinching them in place. He grabbed up the bridle and slipped it on to Red's head. The gelding stood patiently the entire time.

Ben raised himself up into the saddle and patted Red's neck, "What's say we walk back, huh? I'm not in any hurry to hear Ty gloat when I tell him what we did."

The horse whickered in his throat as if he agreed and started off at a walk on Ben's command. As they went back to Heartland, Red couldn't help but wonder; did the permission to bite apply to Ty, too? That young man was just too happy all the time, Red was eager to push his buttons and that would be a great way to do it!

A plan was already formed in Red's mind when they reached the barn and he was more than delighted to see Ty in the aisle, around his stall no less, sweeping.

Ty looked up at them as they entered and Ben sent him a small grin.

"Don't you dare gloat when I tell you what I'm about to say." Ben said.

Ty raised an eyebrow, "No promises. What do you want to say?"

Ben patted Red's neck, "We found a field out on the trail and tried that join-up thing that you and Amy do."

Ty grinned eagerly, "And?"

Ben sighed, "It worked, of course."

Ty laughed happily, "What did I tell you?"

Ben smiled wryly, "Hey, I said no gloating."

"And if I do?" Ty challenged.

Both boys gasped in shock when Red popped forward, head butting Ty in the chest and knocking him onto his rear on the floor. Ty and Ben looked at Red in shock and the horse whinnied victoriously, pulling back his top lip in a grin and tossing his head.

Ben and Ty shared a look before they both burst out laughing.

"Well, I guess I'll shut up." Ty joked as Ben offered him a hand up. He dusted off the seat of his jeans and grinned at Red.

As an apology, the gelding reached over to lip Ty's hair and then butted Ben affectionately.

Ty shook his head with a chuckle, "He is one heck of a horse, Ben."

Ben grinned at him, slinging an arm around Red's neck, "Tell me about it, and he's all mine."

All Ty's comment of "Like horse, like owner" earned him was a laugh from Ben and a whinny from Red.


End file.
